Winning $20 million Lottery Ticket Sold in Houston

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Someone in the Houston area is a millionaire -- a multi-millionaire. The only winning jackpot for last night's Mega Millions was sold at a convenience store on North Rosslyn Road in northwest Houston.

The winning numbers drawn for the estimated $20 million jackpot were 10-14-21-40-53, Mega Ball 20. The lucky holder of Tuesday night's jackpot-winning ticket chose the cash value option and has 180 days to claim the prize. All jackpot prizes and any prize of more than $1 million must be claimed in person at Texas Lottery Headquarters in Austin.

"Yesterday is the one day I did not buy one. I don't know why, but I always buy one. I always buy one from here but it wasn't this time," customer Curtis Corley said.

It's bad luck for him, but a change in fortunes for someone else. At some point before Tuesday night's drawing, the winning ticket was purchased there and all the numbers hit. One thing the store's owners, who asked that they not be identified, were told by the Texas Lottery Commission is that the ticket wasn't a quick pick.

"Sometimes regular people come, sometimes somebody pass by randomly. So we really don't have idea who win," one of the store owners said.

The winner for now remains a mystery, and some people suggest it might be best to keep it that way. Like everywhere, there is crime and break-ins, but one customer suggests it might be just what the neighborhood needs -- a little bit of hope and maybe even generosity.

"Everybody in this little community needs help. Times are hard and I think the neighborhood just really needs help," customer Gloria Summers said.

Texas has had eight other Mega Millions jackpot prize winners.

Mega Millions players win the jackpot by correctly matching five numbers from a field of 56, plus the Mega Ball number from a field of 46. The second-tier prize, awarded for matching all five numbers, but not the Mega Ball number is $250,000. Players can increase their second-tier prize to $1 million if they purchase the $1 add-on feature Megaplier with their ticket. Odds of winning the jackpot prize are one in 175,711,536, and overall odds of winning any prize are one in 40.